Director of Institutional Giving

WHO WE ARE:

West End House (WEH) is a vibrant community anchor and youth development organization rooted in Boston’s Allston neighborhood and serving young people citywide. Since 1906, WEH has empowered youth to succeed academically and in life — providing high-impact programs that foster learning, creativity, wellness, leadership, and economic mobility.

West End House’s programming is grounded in a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach that spans seven interconnected focus areas serving 1500+ youth annually. Fortified by meaningful, long-standing community partnerships and operating out of a safe, dynamic 46,000-square-foot facility, WEH’s programs are designed to help youth ages 7-24 thrive emotionally, socially, and academically.

West End House is committed to advancing racial equity across all aspects of the organization, including youth programs, community and family engagement, and board and leadership. Employees reflect and build upon the organization’s values - opportunity for all, youth first, joy, equity, and community.

Despite all that has changed since the organization’s founding 120 years ago, West End House has and will continue to evolve to meet the needs of Boston’s youth and families—ensuring every young person has the opportunity, support, and confidence to lead, create, and thrive.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

As the Director of Institutional Giving, your work will focus on developing and executing West End House’s grant strategy, including building relationships with institutional funders, identifying grant opportunities, crafting compelling proposals and preparing reports in accordance with existing grant requirements. As a director in the development team, you will also be pivotal in collaborating with program staff to accurately capture and represent various programs in proposals, reports, and updates. If you’re a strategic thinker who thrives on collaboration and takes pride in transforming data and program impact into compelling narratives, this role is for you. You will be the primary staff member responsible for corporate and foundation giving.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Grant Writing and Management

• Analyze quantitative and qualitative program data to craft authentic and compelling grant proposals that align with the West End House’s values.
• Work with the Program Impact team to stay informed and gather data about programs, initiatives, and impact.
• Steward the end-to-end grant application cycle including the creation of grant letters, proposals, budgets, and presentations.
• Complete all grant reports as required.
• Track existing grant and proposal schedules by utilizing the fundraising database, ensuring timely creation and submission of necessary deliverables.
• Execute outreach initiatives to identify and solicit new grant prospects.

Institutional Donor Engagement

• Steward relationships with corporate funders and support initiatives aimed at cultivating new institutional donor relationships.
• Promote corporate and institutional donor engagement by providing updates about program successes, giving opportunities, and upcoming events.
• Collaborate with the broader development team to implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy.

The position allows for the equivalent of one (1) day of remote work per week, subject to business needs.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

There are a multitude of ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally, and we know that people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. With this in consideration, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• 3+ years of prior experience in a grants management or a comparable role that included a large focus on written and verbal communication
• Demonstrable capacity to synthesize member data and program specific information from staff into compelling narratives that that drive results
• Proven ability to meet and track performance metrics around fundraising, including new donor acquisition, donor retention, and growth of major gifts
• Detail oriented with the ability to diligently keep records of and track compliance with a multitude of grant requirements
• Robust communication skills with the ability to actively initiate and maintain relationships with diverse institutional donors
• Proven track record of working effectively within deadlines

WHAT WE OFFER:

The salary range for this role is $73,000-$84,000. Rates of pay within this range will be commensurate with experience and based on factors such as years of experience, educational qualifications, and proficiency in a second language. Salaries ranges are developed in alignment with West End House’s internal compensation policy and because internal equity is critical, offers are firm. The compensation philosophy provides all employees with a clear path for salary growth, showing how performance can lead to increased pay.

Our comprehensive benefits are designed to enhance all aspects of our employees’ lives: physical health, financial security, general well-being and professional development.

Salary & Retirement: We offer competitive salaries based on market value and candidate experience, along with generous employer contributions to a 401(k) plan — provided automatically with no employee match required. For those who choose to contribute, we also offer additional matching funds, helping to ensure financial security today and in the future.

Time off: Our team benefits from 15–25 paid vacation days (based on tenure), in addition to 16 holidays and eight wellness days, ensuring ample opportunities to rest and recharge year-round.

Insurance: We provide strong medical, dental, and vision plans along with a flexible spending account, for you and your family, in addition to life insurance, long term and short-term disability coverage.

Parental Leave: West End House offers generous parental leave for the birth or adoption/foster placement of a child.

Learning: We offer professional development funds for each team to use at their discretion and coordinate regular team gatherings to foster continuous learning and build community.

And More... Team members have access to our pool & fitness center for their personal use; receive daily, scratch made meals; and can elect pre-tax commuter and childcare benefits.

IMPORTANT:

This job description provides a general summary of the essential job functions typically assigned to individuals with the job title listed above. Employees are expected to perform duties assigned to them regardless of whether or not they are listed in the job description. Working hours are expected to align with youth program hours.

The West End House is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status in employment or the provision of services.